Abstract
Discipline has long been a critical facet of the operation of schools. Public schools have often relied on exclusionary discipline policies to maintain order. Recent studies have revealed that these discipline policies have contributed to negative educational outcomes. There is little research about the school discipline policies and practices in Catholic secondary schools in the United States. Additionally, a lack of understanding surrounds the individuals in Catholic schools who administer these discipline policies, Catholic school disciplinarians. Catholic school leaders have long been both praised and vilified for maintaining high standards of behavior in Catholic schools. As Catholic schools continue to educate a greater diversity ofstudents, understanding how Catholic school disciplinarians implement school discipline policies will help Catholic schools as they work to continuously improve. Continuously improving discipline policies and procedures may help Catholic schools improve school operations and relationships with the students and families they serve. Through this study, I explored Catholic school disciplinarians and how they experience the phenomenon of implementing school disciplinary policies. I also investigated attitudes and beliefs and their application and administration of discipline policies to make them more reflective of the Church’s social and moral teachings.